Air pump with automatic pressure maintenance

ABSTRACT

An air mattress comprising an inflatable bladder, at least one pump, a controller, and a timer. The inflatable bladder includes at least one inner chamber. The at least one pump is in fluid communication with atmosphere, as well as the at least one inner chamber of the inflatable bladder. The controller is in communication with the at least one pump, as well as a time. The controller causes activation of the at least one pump upon expiration of the timer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/669,464, filed May 10, 2018. The entire disclosure of said application referenced above is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an air pump for inflatable bladders. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air pump for air mattresses that automatically maintains a desired pressure within the air mattress.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

An airbed, sometimes called an air mattress, is a large rectangular rubber or plastic (e.g., vinyl) bag that is filled with air so that it may be used as a bed. Airbeds are well known in the art, and have proven themselves to be very useful. On the one hand, an inflatable airbed may be deflated and folded to store the airbed in a closet or basement. On the other hand, when a guest is in need of a place to sleep, or when the owner of the airbed takes a trip to a place where there is no bed, the airbed may be inflated and may be used as a comfortable bed.

However, airbeds tend to lose some amount of pressure once inflated. Such loss of pressure may be cause by a slow leak, or by a stretching of the bladder material. Loss of pressure is felt by users as a lack of support from the airbed, and is undesirable. Therefore, many attempts have been made in the prior art to maintain a desired pressure within an airbed. For example, many airbeds include two pumps: a primary pump and a secondary pump. While the primary pump can inflate or deflate the airbed quickly, it is generally loud and imprecise. Therefore, the primary pump is generally used for initial inflation or deflation of the airbed. The secondary pump, however, is generally capable of pumping air in much lower quantities. It is therefore quieter, and can be used for fine adjustments to the airbed's internal pressure, as well as for maintaining a desired internal pressure during use without disturbing a user.

In order to trigger the secondary pump (or the primary pump with an airbed without a secondary pump), many prior art airbeds include one or more pressure controlling assemblies that use diaphragms, springs, or other components to mechanically monitor pressure within the airbed's pump. Upon detection of a pressure within the bladder that is below a predefined threshold, the pressure control assemblies may trigger activation of the secondary (or primary) pump. The secondary (or primary) pump would then re-inflate the airbed until one or more pressure control assemblies detect that the pressure within the airbed has reached the desired level. However, this type of pressure management generally cannot be programmed. In addition, due to tolerances of the pressure controlling assemblies, this type of pressure management is typically of poor accuracy and performance in maintaining pressure in the airbed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In an example embodiment, an air mattress comprising an inflatable bladder, at least one pump, a controller, and a timer. The inflatable bladder includes at least one inner chamber. The at least one pump is in fluid communication with atmosphere, as well as the at least one inner chamber of the inflatable bladder. The controller is in communication with the at least one pump, as well as a timer. The controller causes activation of the at least one pump upon expiration of the timer.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of an airbed incorporating a built-in pump with an automatic pressure maintenance system, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the built-in pump with the automatic pressure maintenance system for the airbed of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a built-in pump with an automatic pressure maintenance system for an airbed, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method utilized by the built-in pump with the automatic pressure maintenance systems of FIG. 1 or 3, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a built-in pump with an automatic pressure maintenance system for an airbed, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the built-in pump with the automatic pressure maintenance system for the airbed of FIG. 5;

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific embodiment thereof is shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiment disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will also be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows an airbed 20 in accordance with an embodiment. The airbed 20 includes a top 22 and a bottom (not shown). The top 22 and the bottom are connected by one or more than one sidewall 24. Together, the top 22, the bottom, and the sidewall 24 form an enclosed space, or air bladder, which may be inflated so that the airbed 20 may be used as a mattress in a manner known in the art. The airbed 20 may be formed by a rubber or plastic material (such as vinyl), with a textile material (such as polyester) laminated to the outer surface thereof.

The airbed 20 may include a built-in pump assembly 30. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the built-in pump assembly 30 is mounted on the sidewall 24 at a foot of the airbed 20. However, in alternate embodiments, the built-in pump assembly 30 may be mounted in other positions, included but not limited to, on the sidewall 24 on the left or right side of the bed, on the top 22, at a juncture of the top and the sidewall 24, or at another suitable location. Pumps that are formed integrally with, or built into, an airbed are known and are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,469 to Chung, and U.S. Published Application Number 2002/0194678. In general, such integral pumps include a plate that is molded, welded, or otherwise attached to a sidewall of an airbed. A pump is mounted in the plate and is arranged so that it may blow air into and/or out of the air bladder of the airbed. Similarly, the pump assembly 30 may be external to the airbed 20.

For the pump assembly 30 shown in FIG. 2, an outer faceplate 32 is positioned so that it is viewable from an exterior of the airbed 20. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, a power source 34 is located in the pump assembly 30. As shown, this power source 34 includes a battery receptacle configured to receive four D cell batteries 36. However, a different number or size of battery may be utilized. In an alternative embodiment, the pump assembly 30 may be utilized with other power sources, including but not limited to: AC power, an AC power cord with a DC adapter, or a rechargeable battery pack, or the like. One or more pumps 38 may be integrated into the pump assembly 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the one or more pumps 38 may be mounted behind the power source 34, although other positions for such one or more pumps 38 are envisioned. Only a portion of the one or more pumps 38 is shown in FIG. 2, but the general structure of such pumps is known.

The one or more pumps 38 may draw air into or expel air out of the airbed 20 through one or more air vents 39 in the pump assembly 30. A pump control 40 is mounted centrally on the faceplate 32. This pump control 40 allows a user to control operation of the one or more pumps 38, for example between “deflate,” “off,” and “inflate” positions. In some embodiments, the user may be able to select between “firm,” “medium,” and “soft” firmness levels via the pump control 40. Other controls may be provided for operation of the one or more pumps 38, including, but not limited to, a remote control that is external to the pump assembly 30.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an integrated pump assembly 42, which includes a similar pump control 40. Similar air vents 39, although located differently than in FIG. 2, are also shown in FIG. 3. Further, the general positioning of two pumps 38—primary pump 38A and secondary pump 38B—are shown in broken lines. Primary pump 38A may be capable of moving larger amounts of airflow than secondary pump 38B, but secondary pump 38B may be quieter than primary pump 38A. It will be understood that such pumps 38 may be positioned in alternate locations, or that alternate numbers of pumps 38 may be used. Similarly, pump assembly 42 includes a power supply 34, which again is illustrated as a battery compartment for housing one or more batteries. However, as above, such a power supply 34 may instead or additionally take the form of AC power, an AC power cord with a DC adapter, or a rechargeable battery pack, or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, pump assembly 42 includes a controller 44 as would be understood in the art, which may include a processor or the like. The controller 44 may include or may be in communication with an electronic memory (not shown). The controller 44 is in communication with the one or more pumps 38 and the pump control 40 to control the operation of such pumps 38 based on input from the pump control 40. The controller 44 may also include a timer function. The controller 44 is also in communication with one or more than one sensor 46. At least one such sensor 46 may be a pressure sensor for determining pressure within the air bladder. The one or more sensors 46 may be of any type known in the art, and may be positioned anywhere appropriate for any such sensor 46 to determine pressure within the air bladder.

FIG. 4 contains a flow chart to illustrate a method 100 of inflating and maintaining a desired pressure within an air mattress 20. At step 102, a user selects a desired firmness level via the pump control 40. As a non-limiting example, the user may select a “soft,” “medium,” or “firm” level of firmness, although other options are envisioned. At step 104, the controller 44 determines a target internal pressure for the air mattress 20, given the selection by the user. Preferably, the controller 44 accesses an electronic memory—which may be housed internally to the controller 44 or elsewhere—to determine the target internal pressure.

At decision point 106, the controller 44 communicates with one or more electronic sensors 46 to determine whether the pressure within the air mattress 20 is above the target internal pressure. If it is, at step 108, the controller 44 initiates deflation of the air mattress 20 according to known methods. However, if the internal pressure within the air mattress 20 is not above the target pressure, at decision point 110, the controller 44 determines if the internal pressure in the air mattress 20 is below the target pressure. Where the internal pressure is low, at step 112, the controller 44 engages the primary pump 38A, and then returns to decision point 106. In this manner, the primary pump 38A remains engaged so long as the air mattress 20 is below the target pressure. However, once the internal pressure within the air mattress 20 is neither above the target pressure nor below the target pressure at decision points 106 and 108, the method 100 advances to step 114 in which the controller 44 deactivates the primary pump 38A.

At decision point 116, the controller 44 determines whether the user has changed the selected firmness level via the pump control 40. Where the selected firmness level has been changed, the method reverts back to step 102. However, where the user has not changed the selected firmness level, the controller starts a timer at step 118. This timer may exist within the controller 44, or may be an external timer in communication with the controller 44. The timer may be set to any desired length of time, such as one minute, five minutes, ten minutes, or the like. At decision point 120, the controller 44 determines whether the timer has expired. Where the timer has not expired, the method repeats decision point 120 until the timer expires. Once the timer expires, the controller 44 automatically activates the secondary pump 38B at step 122. It will be understood that a system with only a primary pump 38A may be used, in which case the controller 44 would activate the primary pump at step 122.

At decision point 124, the controller 44 again communicates with the one or more sensors 46 to determine if the internal pressure within the air mattress 20 is below the target pressure. Where the internal pressure is below the target pressure, decision point 124 is repeated with the secondary pump 38B engaged until the pressure within the air mattress 20 is not below the target internal pressure. Thus, it will be seen that the controller 44 engages a pump 38 every time the timer expires, regardless of the internal pressure of the air mattress 20. Pressure within the air mattress 20 is thereby maintained without the need to check inaccurate pressure control assemblies to determine when to initiate supplemental pumping.

Once the pressure within the air mattress 20 is no longer below the target pressure, the method 100 then advances to step 126 in which the controller 44 deactivates the secondary pump 38B (or primary pump 38A, depending on the embodiment), and the method reverts to decision point 116.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of an integrated pump assembly 50, which includes a similar pump control 40 as discussed above. Air vents 39A are shown in the form of a grate rather than the slits shown in embodiments discussed above, and are sized and shaped differently as well. As will be understood, the particularly shape and positioning of air vents 39/39A may vary so long as sufficient airflow is permitted. One or more pumps 38 are contained within the integrated pump assembly 50 as discussed above. Similarly, as above, pump assembly 50 includes a power supply (not show), and an AC power cord 34A is shown extending therefrom. However, as above, such a power supply may instead or additionally take the form of batteries, an AC power cord with a DC adapter, or a rechargeable battery pack, or the like. FIG. 6 illustrates the same pump assembly 50 face-on, such that additional options associated with the pump control 40 are shown. As can be seen, the pump control 40 may be set to an off position 40A, a deflate position 40B, a firm position 40C, a medium position 40D, or a soft position 40E. More, fewer, or other options are also envisioned.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles and scope of the present invention.

As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required.”

Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present constructions will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An air mattress comprising: an inflatable bladder having at least one inner chamber; at least one pump in fluid communication with atmosphere and the at least one inner chamber of the inflatable bladder; a controller in communication with the at least one pump; a timer in communication with the controller, wherein the controller causes activation of the at least one pump upon expiration of the timer.
 2. The air mattress of claim 1 wherein the controller includes the timer.
 3. The air mattress of claim 1, further including at least one sensor in communication with the controller, the at least one sensor for detecting a pressure within the at least one inner chamber of the inflatable bladder;
 4. The air mattress of claim 3 wherein the controller causes deactivation of the at least one pump upon determining, via the at least one sensor, that the pressure within the at least one inner chamber has reached a predetermined pressure value.
 5. The air mattress of claim 4 wherein the controller resets and restarts the timer upon deactivating the at least one pump.
 6. The air mattress of claim 1, further including a pump control in communication with the controller, the pump controller for selecting among one or more than one firmness setting for the air mattress.
 7. The air mattress of claim 6 wherein the controller is in communication with an electronic memory, said electronic memory storing a predetermined pressure value within the at least one inner chamber of the inflatable bladder associated with each firmness setting.
 8. A method for maintaining a desired firmness in an air mattress, the method comprising the steps of: (a) accepting an input from a user of a desired firmness level; (b) determining a target pressure within the air mattress based on the desired firmness level; (c) engaging at least one pump associated with the air mattress to inflate the air mattress to the target pressure; (d) upon determining that pressure within the air mattress has reached the target pressure, deactivating the at least one pump; (e) initiating a timer count down for a predetermined amount of time; (f) upon expiration of the timer, engaging one of said at least one pump to begin pumping additional air into the air mattress; (g) disengaging the one of said at least one pump upon determining that pressure within the air mattress has reached the target pressure, and reverting to step (e). 